Adepoju Paul OlusegunWill Rogers: Humorist and the Cowboy Actor
November 3rd 2006 23:33
William "Will" Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, and actor. He was ex-Ziegfeld Follies with terrific crackerbarrel philosophy.
In his time, Rogers had an enormous place in the US and the Americans. He was its most widely read newspaper columnist, between his daily "Will Rogers Says" telegrams and his weekly column; his Sunday night half-hour radio show was the nation's most-listened-to weekly broadcast. He had also been the nation's Number-Two movie 'Box Office Draw' in 1933 (behind Marie Dressler) and Number-One in 1934, ranking 2nd at the time of his death for 1935 only to Shirley Temple.
Will Rogers was born in Indian Territory now state of Oklahoma. His father was Clement Vann Rogers and his mother was Mary America Schrimsher, both of Cherokee heritage. He attended Kemper Military School in Boonville, MO. until the 10th grade.
As a young man, Rogers loved the cowboy ways. In March 1902, he traveled to England in a round-about way of securing passage for Argentina, where he spent five months seeking a career with the gauchos of the Argentine pampas. Later, he sailed for South Africa, where he took a job breaking in horses for the British Army. While in South Africa, he began his show business career as a trick roper in "Texas Jack's Wild West Circus." He was billed as "The Cherokee Kid".
Rogers' birthplace is open to the public. It is located two miles east of Oologah, Oklahoma, on land overlooking his father's ranch. The house was moved about 3/4 mile to its present location on higher ground when the Verdigris River valley was flooded to create the lake.
Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was named after him, as was the U.S. Navy submarine the USS Will Rogers and Rogers State University, a four-year public university located in Claremore, Oklahoma. Rogers' home, stables, and polo fields are preserved today for public enjoyment at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades, California. Also, Will Rogers Elementary School in Santa Monica, California is named in respect to him. Many more public schools in Oklahoma have been named after Will Rogers.
Will Rogers' is one of Oklahoma's two statues that each state has placed in the United States Capitol Building. The statue is made of bronze and faces the floor entrance of the House of Representatives gallery in a hallway connected to Statuary Hall. The story went that Oklahoma knew they wanted Will Rogers, before he passed away, to be one of their two statues in the Capitol and when the state asked him if that would be okay he told them only if his statue is placed facing the House gallery so he can keep an eye on Congress. Of l the statues in the hallway, Will Rogers is the only one facing the House gallery entrance.
The Will Rogers Memorial Center, built in Fort Worth, Texas in 1936, is the home of the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. The center contains a mural of Will Rogers on his horse, Soapsuds, above in the lobby of the coliseum, a bust of Will Rogers in the rotunda of the Landmark Pioneer Tower, and a life-size statue of Rogers on Soapsuds on the lawn. This statue, titled "Into the Sunset", was sculpted by Electra Waggoner Biggs, noted sculptor of Fort Worth and Vernon.
At Epcot, an audio-animatronic Will Rogers is seen twirling his lasso and speaking in The American Adventure's 1930s sequence. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun was erected by Spencer Penrose in 1937. It is an 80-foot observation tower built near Cheyenne Mountain, including a photographic exhibition of Rogers' life.
The Will Rogers State Historic Park in Los Angeles County was created in 1944 when his widow, Betty, donated the family ranch house, stables, and land in Santa Monica overlooking the Pacific Ocean, in what is now known as Pacific Palisades. Visitors to the park can visit the 31-room ranch house, a stable, corrals, riding ring, roping arena, polo field, golf course, and hiking trails. Continuing his love of horses, The Will Rogers Polo Club plays polo every weekend at the state park from April to October. Will Rogers State beach was also bequeathed by Betty from family land in Southern California.
The old US Route 66 is known as the Will Rogers Highway — "officially" named this by the US Highway 66 Association in 1952. A plaque dedicating the highway to the humorist is still located opposite the western terminus of Route 66 in Santa Monica, California. There were more plaques like this; one can be found in Galena, Kansas. It was originally located on the Kansas-Missouri state line, but moved to the Howard Litch Memorial Park in 2001. A statue of Rogers stands outside the west anchor of the Vinita, Oklahoma McDonald's, which spans the lanes of the Will Rogers Turnpike.
For his contribution to the entertainment industry in motion pictures and radio, Will Rogers was awarded two stars on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame at the following locations: 6401 Hollywood Blvd. (motion pictures) and 6608 Hollywood Blvd. (radio)
Rogers had the posthumous honor of having his eldest son, Will Jr., star as him in the 1948 biopic "The Will Rogers Story." Rogers also came to life for modern audiences in the Tony Award–winning musical, the Will Rogers Follies (played by Keith Carradine), and he was also portrayed by James Whitmore in the one-man show Will Rogers U.S.A.
In his time, Rogers had an enormous place in the US and the Americans. He was its most widely read newspaper columnist, between his daily "Will Rogers Says" telegrams and his weekly column; his Sunday night half-hour radio show was the nation's most-listened-to weekly broadcast. He had also been the nation's Number-Two movie 'Box Office Draw' in 1933 (behind Marie Dressler) and Number-One in 1934, ranking 2nd at the time of his death for 1935 only to Shirley Temple.
Will Rogers was born in Indian Territory now state of Oklahoma. His father was Clement Vann Rogers and his mother was Mary America Schrimsher, both of Cherokee heritage. He attended Kemper Military School in Boonville, MO. until the 10th grade.
As a young man, Rogers loved the cowboy ways. In March 1902, he traveled to England in a round-about way of securing passage for Argentina, where he spent five months seeking a career with the gauchos of the Argentine pampas. Later, he sailed for South Africa, where he took a job breaking in horses for the British Army. While in South Africa, he began his show business career as a trick roper in "Texas Jack's Wild West Circus." He was billed as "The Cherokee Kid".
Rogers' birthplace is open to the public. It is located two miles east of Oologah, Oklahoma, on land overlooking his father's ranch. The house was moved about 3/4 mile to its present location on higher ground when the Verdigris River valley was flooded to create the lake.
Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was named after him, as was the U.S. Navy submarine the USS Will Rogers and Rogers State University, a four-year public university located in Claremore, Oklahoma. Rogers' home, stables, and polo fields are preserved today for public enjoyment at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades, California. Also, Will Rogers Elementary School in Santa Monica, California is named in respect to him. Many more public schools in Oklahoma have been named after Will Rogers.
Will Rogers' is one of Oklahoma's two statues that each state has placed in the United States Capitol Building. The statue is made of bronze and faces the floor entrance of the House of Representatives gallery in a hallway connected to Statuary Hall. The story went that Oklahoma knew they wanted Will Rogers, before he passed away, to be one of their two statues in the Capitol and when the state asked him if that would be okay he told them only if his statue is placed facing the House gallery so he can keep an eye on Congress. Of l the statues in the hallway, Will Rogers is the only one facing the House gallery entrance.
The Will Rogers Memorial Center, built in Fort Worth, Texas in 1936, is the home of the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show. The center contains a mural of Will Rogers on his horse, Soapsuds, above in the lobby of the coliseum, a bust of Will Rogers in the rotunda of the Landmark Pioneer Tower, and a life-size statue of Rogers on Soapsuds on the lawn. This statue, titled "Into the Sunset", was sculpted by Electra Waggoner Biggs, noted sculptor of Fort Worth and Vernon.
At Epcot, an audio-animatronic Will Rogers is seen twirling his lasso and speaking in The American Adventure's 1930s sequence. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun was erected by Spencer Penrose in 1937. It is an 80-foot observation tower built near Cheyenne Mountain, including a photographic exhibition of Rogers' life.
The Will Rogers State Historic Park in Los Angeles County was created in 1944 when his widow, Betty, donated the family ranch house, stables, and land in Santa Monica overlooking the Pacific Ocean, in what is now known as Pacific Palisades. Visitors to the park can visit the 31-room ranch house, a stable, corrals, riding ring, roping arena, polo field, golf course, and hiking trails. Continuing his love of horses, The Will Rogers Polo Club plays polo every weekend at the state park from April to October. Will Rogers State beach was also bequeathed by Betty from family land in Southern California.
The old US Route 66 is known as the Will Rogers Highway — "officially" named this by the US Highway 66 Association in 1952. A plaque dedicating the highway to the humorist is still located opposite the western terminus of Route 66 in Santa Monica, California. There were more plaques like this; one can be found in Galena, Kansas. It was originally located on the Kansas-Missouri state line, but moved to the Howard Litch Memorial Park in 2001. A statue of Rogers stands outside the west anchor of the Vinita, Oklahoma McDonald's, which spans the lanes of the Will Rogers Turnpike.
For his contribution to the entertainment industry in motion pictures and radio, Will Rogers was awarded two stars on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame at the following locations: 6401 Hollywood Blvd. (motion pictures) and 6608 Hollywood Blvd. (radio)
Rogers had the posthumous honor of having his eldest son, Will Jr., star as him in the 1948 biopic "The Will Rogers Story." Rogers also came to life for modern audiences in the Tony Award–winning musical, the Will Rogers Follies (played by Keith Carradine), and he was also portrayed by James Whitmore in the one-man show Will Rogers U.S.A.
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Comment by Deorre
Stress Alive
Man Lessons
Comment by Tel
Enjoy your weekend.
Comment by Wendi
I'm curious, Tel... how do you choose your subjects for each entry? I'm sure sometimes it has to do with significant dates, but other than that, how do you choose who to spotlight?
W
Comment by Wendi
Comment by Tel
shapers has been lifelong, through the years, a part of an interest. And I still have all the 6 series I'm suppose to release if only my defunct publisher published them all last year.
Back to your question, aside from their birth, then I try to choose from my collection of 6 categories. Lastly, it's more of a personal choice, my privilege as the writer. ;>
And I love sharing from the heart. That you already know. ;>
Take care.
Comment by Tel
Comment by Wendi
Comment by Tel
Enjoy your day and best to dear A and N, also D.